Portable electric light



I. T. DRUFVA.

PORTABLE ELECIRIC LIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED DEc.22. m2.

Patented Nov. 4, 191% $3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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l. T. DRUFVA.

, PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT. Awucmou m'o mac. 2: m;

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' 1,326,846. V Patented Nov. 4,1919.

JOHN T. IJRUFVA, 0F LONGMEADOW, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OFFICE.

T0 rrnrmr HYMAN a CO. INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWYORK.

PORTABLE ELECTRIC LIGHT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 4, 1919.

Application filed December 22, 1917. Serial No. 208,346.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, JOHN T. Dnm va, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Longmeadow, in thecounty of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Portable Electric Lights, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The invention pertains more particularly to the character of electricflash lights to be held in the hand and lighted, as occasion mayrequire, by the manual movement of a slide applied upon the exteriorcasing of a the device.

My invention resides more particularly in a novel arrangement andconstruction of parts, includingineans for completing the circuitbetween the lamp and battery, which obviate the accidental circuiting ofthe lamp by contact with metal articles, such as might arise when aflash light, otherwise constructed, is placed in a box of tools.

The flash light of my invention comprises an exterior casing, a pluralcell battery therein, a thumb-piece or slide on the side of the cashig,means on the movement of said slide for completing the circuit betweenthe lamp and battery, a metal sleeve applied upon the upper end of thecasing and holding the lens and binding the same against the reflector,a lamp bulb of customary type held by the reflector and engaging thepositive pole of the battery and a novel support within the outer end ofthe casing to receive the sleeve of the reflector an comprising a ringto set within the casing, an insulating disk held in said ring andserving to insulate the reflector from adjacent metal parts of the casinand a metal plate at the. bottom of said Insulating disk in electricalconnection with t e sleeve of the reflector and afi'ording a surface tobe engaged by a conductor to be placed in. circuit by the manualactuation of the slide on the exterior of the casing.

y invention is applicable to flash lights having metal casings, which inthemselves serve is a conductor, and also to flash lights having fibercasings, this latter class of flash lights usually having conductingstrips extending between the negative pole of the battery and the lampand to be placed in circuit with each otherby the manual movement of aspring-switch connected wiQ a thumb-piece on the side of the casing.

The invention will be fully understood .ductors extending between fromthe detailed description hereinafter presented, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a central longitudinal section, with the wrapping-on thebattery partly broken away, of a portable flash light embodying myinvention, the casing of the flash light in this instance being ofmetal;

Fig. 2 is a detached top view of the support I arrange within the outerend of the casing to receive the of the reflector;

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section, on a larger scale, through theparts of the aforesaid support, the insulating disk and its immediatefeatures being shown as separated from the encompassing ring and readyto be dropped thereinto;

Fig. 4 is a view corresponding with Fig. 1. but illustrating a flashlight of the Miner type and having a fiber or insulating tubular casing;

Fig. 5 is a detached vertical section through the fiber casing and ispresented to illustrate, more particularly, the circuit conthe ends ofthe casing and carried by said casing;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through the up per portion of a flash lightshowing a modified construction of the support for the reflector, inthis instance the support and reflector'being connected together so asto be handled as one piece;

Fig. 7 is a top view, on an enlarged scale, of a modified form of thesupport for the reflector, this suppprt being of the character I employin very small flash lights;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view through the game, taken on the dotted line 8-8, of

Fig. 9 is a vertical section through the upper portion of a flash lightemb lying y invention, the cpnstruction shown in ig. 9ibeing one Iemploy in instances in which the battery and the outer casing may bedisproportionate, pne to the other. in ion h, and

ig. 10 is a detached top view of the sup port, shown in Fig. 9,1 f

In the drawings, referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, 10 designates a ,tubularmetal casing, 11 a. plural cell battery therein, 12 a wrap ping ofinsulating material on said battery, 3 a screw-rap of customaryconstruction closing the lower end of said casing,

lower or sleeve-portion 14 a conuuctm sprin comprem between the negativep e of t e batter and the inner surface of said cap, 15 a s eeve screwedupon the outer end of said casing, 16 a customary lens held by saidsleeve, 17 a reflector within the outer end of the casing 10 and out ofelectrical contact therewith, and 18 an elefitric bulb of knowncharacter having its terminal sleeve 19 screwed into the usual threadedsleeve 20 at the inner end of said reflector, the other terminal 21 ofthe lamp being held in engagement with the positive pole 22 of thebattery by means of the spring 14. Near the outer end of the casin 10said casing is enlar ed laterally, where y about in 'line with t e lowerend of the reflector 17, an annular shoulder 23 is created, and uponthis shoulder is seated a metal ring 24, shown on an enlarged scale inFig. 3, comprising an upper annular portion 25 which engages theshoulder 23 with a snug fit, a lower annular ortion 26 which projectsdownwardly slightl y into the upper portion of the casing 10 below saidshou er and a horizontal flange 27 which extends inwardly from the loweredges of said annular portion 26.

A disk 28 of insulating material and carrying a bottom plate or disk 29of conductin material is seated within the ring 24 an reflector 17. Thedisk 28 an disk 29 are secured together by an eyelet 30 down into whichthe sleeve 20 of the reflector 17 projccts, and the said sleeve andeyelet are in electrical contact, the upper edge of the eyelet beingagainst the lower portion of'the reflector surroundi 'its said sleeve.The metal disk 29 is sma ler than the insulating disk 28, as clearlyshown in Fig. 3, an when the disk 28, withthe disk 29, is seated withinthe ring 24, the disk 29 is insulated from saidrlng by reason of thefact that its outer edge is separated or sets inwardly from the inneredge of the flange 27 of said ring. The disk 8 serves to support thedisk 29 and being of insulating material, the disk 29 norma ly remainsout of electrical connection with the ring 24 and also with the exteriorcasing 10. In assembling the parts the disk 28, carrying the disk 29, isseated within the ring 24- and therewith introduced through the upperend of the casing 10, the said ring becoming seated on the shoulder 23,as shown in Fig. 1. The reflector and lamp may then be applied toposition, and thereafter the lens is secured against the upper edges ofthe reflector by meansvof the sleeve 15. The sleeve 15 serves 'to holdthe lens 16 against the reflcctor and also to keep the reflector inconstant electrical connection with the eyelet 30 ofithe support formedby the disks 28, 29, eyelet 30 and ring 24.

Upon one side of the Casing 1G is provided shown in Fig. 1,

therewith forms a support for thea slide 31 which is secured to an innerconducting strip 32 by means of eyelets 33, which enter slots formed inthe casing 10 so that the slide 31 and strip 32 may have slidingmovement imparted to them by the user of the flash light. In Fig. 1 Iillustrate the slide 31 and strip 32 in their outer position. completingthe circuit through the lamp and battery, the upper end of the stri 32being bent inwardly so that when sai strip is moved to its outerposition, the bent end, which 1 number 34, oi the strip, will pass intoelectrical contact with. the disk 29, which, as we have alreadyexplained, is, through the eyelet 30, in electrical connection with thesleeve of thereflector. The strip 32 is of thin brass, and when moved to1ts outer position the bent end 34 thereof may be pressed with springeffect against the disk 29 and thereby assure positive electricalbetween said strip and said disk. When the slide 31 is moved downwardlyfrom its position it will carry the strip 32 downwardly and break theconnection be-- tween the upper end of the strip and the lower surfaceof the disk 29, thus breaking the circuit and extin ishing the light.

In Figs. 4 and 5 I 1 ustrate m invention as ap lied to a lamp of the'ner ty e, and t erein 35 designates a fiber tubular casing, 36 a pluralcell battery therein, 37'

a wrapping of insulating material on sai battery, 38 ascrew cap ofcustomary con struction closing the lower end of said cas- 100 ing, 39the customary conductin spring between the bare lower end of the atteryand the inner surface of said cap, 40 a shell screwed upon the u per endof the casing 35 and bent inward y near the upper end of said easin toform an annular shoulder 41, 42 the re ector, 43 the lens, 44 a sleevescrewed uponthe shell 40 and engaging the lens 43 and holding the samedown against the reflector 42, whose upper edge is s aced 110 from saidshell, 45 the usual lam -bu b, 46

the sleeve terminal thereof, and 4 a sleeve formed at the lower portionof said reflector and into which said terminal 46 is screwed and whichextends through the eyelet 48 of 115 the support formed by the insulalindisk 49 carr ing the metal disk 50. The wk 49 is within a metal ring 51which is seated on the shoulder 41, and said disk 49, ring 51 andconducting disk-plate are identical 120 in construction with thereflector supporting members shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, and therefore donot require more specific description. The purpose of presenting Figs.

4 and 5 is to illustrate how the supporting 125 members, shown in Figs.2 and 3, may be successfully employed in a Miner ty e of flash lighthaving a fiber casing. The lower terminal 52 of the lamp is in contactwill the pole 53 of the battery, as usual. 130

Within the casing 35 are two normally separated conductor strips 54, 55,thelower end of the strip 54 being in electrical connection with thenegative pole of the battery, and the upper end of the strip 55 beininelectrical connection with the contact dis 50 carried by the insulatingdisk 49. The inner end of the strip 54 is in electrical connection withan escutcheon 56 secured upon the exterior of the casing 35, and theinner end of the strip 55 is secured to the casin 35 by an eyelet whoseouter end is expos within said escutcheon; and partly within saidescutcheon is arranged a switch 57 to be v manually operated from theexposed head thereof and which, when in one position, through the member58 thereof, electrically connects the strip 55 with thees c utcheon, andtherefore establishes electrical commu nication between the strip 55,escutcheon 56 and stri 54, for making the circuit. When the switch 57 isslid downwardly from the position in which it is shown in Fig. 4, themember 58 thereof leaves its electrical connection with the lower orinner end 'of the strip'55, and at that time thecircuit becomes brokenandthe lampextinguished. In the position of the parts shown in Fig. 4the circuit is completed through the lamp. In the construction shown inFig. 1, there being a conducting casing 10, I employ the slide 32, forthe purpose of making and breaking the circuit, while in theconstruction shown in Fig. 4 I employ the switch 57 to coin lets thecircuit between the inner ends 0 the strips 55%, ,55, the upper end ofthe strip 55being in constant engagement with the conducting disk 50.

The construction shown injFig. 6 is iden- I tical with that illustratedin Fi 1, except that I flange the lower edge 0 the sleeve 20 of thereflector outwardly, as at 59, so as to fasten the supportin members 24,28, 29, 30, to the reflector, an this construction is advantageous inthat it permits the reflector and its said supporting members to behandled as on piece, and further this construction assu 'es theelectrical connection of the reflector ,ith the conducting disk 29 atall times. The constrliction shown in Fig. 6 will, theref re, beunderstood without further expla ation.

In Figs. 7' a d 8 I illustrate a form of the reflector-suppo 1 meanswhich is employed in very lamps, and therein 60 denotes the m tal ring,61 the insulating disk, 62 the co dutting disk carried thereby and 63the eye etiwhich connects the disks 61, 62 and serv s' receive thesleeve portion of the reflector The ring 60 is indented at its upper edas at 64, to project over the edge of the dis 61 and thereby aid inretaining said disk 0 v a shoulder 65 formed within the rin 60 by ninwardly projecting annular bea ing, th shoulder 65 performing theporting 7 and 8 correspondiwith the reflector-supfeatures, shown inFigs. 1 to 3 inelusive. j p

In Figs. 9 and 10 I illustrate a flash light employing theessentialffeatures shown in Fig. 3 in the same tubularcagsing 10 shownin Fig. 1, and having the'sarne sleeve 15,

lens 16, reflector-17 and lamp-hulb 16 illustrated m Fig. 1, but thefeflectonsupporting means shown in Fig. 9 are pda ted to 00- cupy a.sometimes unusual space eft between casing of the flash, light. The,essential feapures of the cons ruction shown in Figs.

the positive pole 22 of the battery and the j lower terminal 21 of thelam -bulb inin-" stances in which the length n the batteryand the lengthof the casing 10 may be dis proportionate to each other.-

In Figs. 9 andid the-reflector-support comprises the'metal rin 67, whichcorre spends with the ring own'in Figs. 1, B and 6, and engages ashoulder 23 on the casing 10, the insulating dial: cs'an metal disk 69,said disks 68, 69bingthe same as the disks represented in. Fig. 3. Inthe construction shown in Fig. 9 the disks 68, 69- are secured togetherby an eyelet 70, which is formedupon the upper end of a downwardlyextending tube 71 into the upper end of which the lampsleeve 19projects. Near its lower end the tube 71 has an inwardly bent beading 72which creates a shoulder against which an insulating washer '73 abuts.The washer 78 encompasses a. contact cup 74 which engages the positivepole 22 of the battery and receives in its upper portion a verticallymovablecap 75 containing a'ooiled spring 76,'the spring having a bearingon the lower end of the contact 74 and against the upper end of the cap7 5 and operating to ressthe cap 75 against the ter- .minal 21 of t elamp so a to form ahelectrical connection between said terminal and thepositive pole of the batte The tube 71 and contact members 74, 7 76 areemployed in cases in which the battery may be too short for thd casing10, or thecasing 10 too long for the battery. The reflector supportingmembers, shown in Figs. 9 and 10, are the same as the reflectorsupporting features presented in the other of the drawings, but inaddition to said features in this instance the tube 71 and anem'bersassociated therewith are made use of, while the same features are not reuired'in a construction such as shown in ig. 1 .or in Fig. 6, becausethe casing and be telly therefllown are proportionate to eat: otheni Inthe upper edge of the cup construction shown in Figs. '9 an 0, thecontact 74i nged inwardly and the lower edge of the cap is flangedoutwardly, thereby forming stops which prevent the se oration of saiparts 74, 75. I also show t ring 67 as indented inwardly at 77, so as toaid in securing the fiber disk 68 and metal disk 69 in position withinthe ring 67.

The invention will be understood from the foregoing description withoutfurther special exp anation. The circuit is made through the lamp andbattery by the movement of the slide 32 against the disk 29, the casing10 being of conducting material and extending from the negative pole ofthe battery. In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the casing is offiber,and hence t e circuit must be made and broken by means of theswitch 57 and metal strips 54, 55.: In each instance the construction issuch as to prevent the accidental lighting of the lamp, as by the,placing of the flash-light in a box of tools. The construction has beendesigned both for convenience of manufacture and to avoid the accidentallighting of the lamp. The construction is one convenient of manufacture,since the parts may be readily made and assembled and, when asscnr bled,perform their duties efficiently.

What I claim as mly invention and desire to secure by Lettersatent, is:

1. In a flash-light having a casing, reflector, lens, lamp bulb andbattery, said casing having adjacent to its forward end a shoulderandsaid lens being secured over the reflector by an exterior ring, incombination, a supporting member for said reflector, comprising a metalring ada ted to engage said shoulder, an insulating isk fitted withinand supported by metal plate on the lower side of said disk, a metaleyelet connecting said disk and plate and receiving the lower tubularportion of said reflector, and means for connecting the negative'poleofthe battery with said metal plate, one terminal of the lamp being inelectrical connection with the positive pole of the battery, and saidreflector at its upper edge being spaced from the surrounding metalparts of the flash-light.

2. In a flash-light having a casing, reflector, lens, lamp bulb andbattery, said lens being secured over the reflector by an exterior ring,in combination, an insulating disk. supported in the forward end of thecasing, a metal plate on the lower part of said disk,-a metal eyeletconnecting said disk and plate and receiving the lower tubular portionof said reflector, means for connecting the negative pole of the batterywith said metal plate, and a vertically yieldable contact carried bysaid disk and engaging one terminiref the lamp and being in electricalcomiiection with the positive pole of the batterior ring,

receiving the lamp, in combinationi said ring, a

ter said reflector bemg supported by said dis and plate and at its upperedge spaced from the surrounding metal parts of the flash-light.

3. In a flash-l ht having a casing, reflector, lens, lamp being securedover member for said reflector supported 1n the forward end of thecasing, metal ring, an insulating disk and supported by said the lowerside of said disk connecting said disk and pl ing the fitted withindoctor, and means for connecting the mega;

comprisingfa v 70 ulb and battery, said lens, the reflector by anexcombination, a supporting;

ring, a metal plate on a metal eyelet-- ate and receive; lower tubularportion of said re-"Efl tive pole of the battery with said match,

plate, one terminal of the lamp being electrical connection with thepositive poles of the battery, and said edge being s seed from the,metal parts 0 the flash-light.

4. In a flash light having a casin flector, lens, lamp bulb and battery,sai being secu over the reflector and. said, reflector having adepending tubuportion;

reflector at its upper surrounding porting member for said reflectorsupported' adjacent the forward end of the coding, domprising a metalring, an insulating disk fitted within and supported by said ring, a

metal disk at the lower face of said insulatdisk and at its edges spacedfrom the mg conductive surfamas ofthe flash-light, and means forconnecting the negative pole o the battery with saidmetal disk, oneterminal of the lamp being in electrical connection with the positivepole of the battery and said reflector at its upper edge being spacedfrom the surrounding metal parts of the flash-light and at its lowertubular portion being extended through said disks and in electricalconnection wit said metal disk.

5. In a flash-light having a cas'm reflector, lens, lamp bulb andbattery, sai lens being secured flector having a receiving the lamp, incombination, a supporting member for said reflector supported adjacentthe forward end ofthe cas' conii prising a metal ring, an insulatin 13];ii ted within and supported by gel f we over the reflector and saidredepending tubular e ring, n.

metal disk at the lower face of said insulatthe flash-light and at itslower tubular poring disk and tion being extended through said disks andflanged outwardly and being in electrical connection with said metald1sk..

the negative pole of a 6. In a flash-1i ht having a. metal cas'reflector, lens, la ip bulb and battery, Qfii lens being secured overthe reflector and said reflector at its upper edge being s need from themetelparts o the flash light and at its lower portion having a.depending tubular member receiving the lump, m com ination, a supportfor said: reflector adjacent the forward end of the cas' comprising ametal ring, an insulating 18k fitted within said ring, a. metal disk atthe lower face of said insulatin disk and at its edges spaced from thecon ipctive surfaces of the flash-1i ht means connecting the negativepole of t e attery with said casing, on

external slide on eaid casing, and an interior conductive strip withseid slide and having a. forward end adzsted to engage said metal diskwhen mov so to de one terminal of the lamp being in elec- 20 tricalconnection with the positive pole of the battery, and the tubularportion of said reflector being extended through said disks and inelectrical connection with said metal disk.

Hampdenend State of Mass, this 20th day of December, A. D? 1917.

JOHN T. DRUFVA.

' Witn:

W. H. Bun, B. Dome.

- 2-5 Signed at Springfield, in the county of

